Dishonest references test recruitment

Global problem has led to delays, inefficiencies in war for talent: Experts

By Marcel Vander Wier

01/02/2018|Canadian HR Reporter|Last Updated: 01/02/2018

When it comes to reference checks, there’s a disconnect and lack of trust that’s causing problems in the recruitment process in Canada and across the globe, according to a report.

Eighty-two per cent of HR professionals believe people providing references are not always being honest, while 68 per cent believe they’ve been lied to while conducting phone references, found the survey of 102 Canadian HR professionals last fall by Xref.

On the other side, 38 per cent of job applicants said they have been named by a friend for an employment reference, with 50 per cent believing it’s more important to put forth a “good reference” than a direct manager, found the survey of 1,011 Canadians who have applied for a job within the last two years.